Neighbourly Conduct
by eemmaatt33
Summary: Henry confronts Burt about an issue we've all been wondering. "Why don't you get rid of the cat?"


**Disclaimer**: Kid vs. Kat belongs to Studio B Productions, created by Rob Boutilier. This fanfiction is intended for entertainment purposes only.

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><p><em>"<em>_Quit it, you hairless freak!"_

_"__Meow!"_

Henry sighed.

His neighbours were so loud.

_"__Daddy, Coop keeps picking on Mr. Kat!"_

_"__Coop, leave the cat alone."_

_"__I didn't do anything wrong. He-"_

_"__That's enough. Come inside. Now!"_

_"__Yes, Dad."_

Every day was the same routine.

Mr. Kat fights with Coop, Millie blames her brother, Burt agrees, and Coop is punished.

On a usual day, he would ignore the ruckus.

_"__MEOW!"_

_"__I thought I told you to leave the cat alone!?"_

_"__I did! The thing followed me into my room."_

However, Henry was frustrated.

It was one fight, too many.

_"__Daddy! Coop's being mean."_

_"__Be nice to your sister."_

_"__She's never nice to me…"_

_"__Don't backtalk! Go to your room."_

_"__I'm already in my room."_

_"__Then… stay there?!"_

He'd had enough.

When would the harassment end?

He put down his latest electronic device and stormed over to the Burtonburger household. He knocked twice on the front door, then waited.

"One moment. I'll be just a second!" He heard Burt yell.

He knocked again.

"I said I'm coming!" Called the annoyed voice.

Burt opened the door, surprised to see his Asian friend.

"Henry! What are you doing here?" He asked.

"Burt, I need to talk to you." Henry was too impatient for small talk.

"Oh, Okay. Why don't you come in?" Burt stood aside.

Looking inside, Henry saw the commotion up close. The cat was chasing Coop around the living room, as Millie yelled at her brother.

"Um, could we speak in a more _private_ area?"

His serious tone was noticed by Burt.

"Right. Maybe we can talk outside."

Burt closed the front door. The noise was partially blocked.

"Kids, huh? A whole bunch of trouble." Burt joked.

"Why don't you get rid of the cat?" Henry blurted out.

"Wh-what?" Burt was confused.

"Haven't you noticed?" Continued Henry.

"Noticed what? You're not making any sense."

Henry sighed in annoyance.

"Tell me, before you adopted Mr. Kat, what was Coop's behaviour like?"

Burt frowned. What was his friend talking about?

"I don't see what this has to do with anything?"

"Just answer the question."

"Fine," It was Burt's turn to sigh. "He was well behaved. Received perfect grades, never got in trouble at school. Sometimes he fought with his sister but not to the extent that they do now."

"And how is his current behaviour?"

"Well…" Burt felt a little embarrassed, "He's constantly getting into trouble. I've had to ground him for the first time in his life!"

"I heard that you received complaints from the school," Henry added.

"Yes…" said a strained Burt, "and he's frequently fighting with his sister. I'm at my wits end."

Henry glared.

"Really!? You have no idea why he's acting out?" He questioned.

"No, I don-"

Henry interrupted. "Stop."

"What?" Burt was still puzzled.

"It's the cat. It's always been the cat."

Burt laughed. "Mr. Kat? Seriously?"

Henry looked pointedly at Burt. He _was_ serious.

"I mean, he usually blames his mistakes on the cat. Don't tell me you actually believe him?"

Henry glared. Was Burt really this thick headed?

"Let me put it this way. A well behaved, model student suddenly becomes an aggressive, trouble maker. When did this start?"

"Oh, come o-"

Henry asked again.

"WHEN did this start?"

"When we found Mr. Kat. But-"

"And when he misbehaves, who does he usually blame?" Henry continued.

"He blames the cat for all his misdoings."

"Don't you think there is a connection?"

Burt still didn't believe him. "Henry-"

"No. You listen to me! I've seen the interactions he has with that cat. It honestly has a grudge against him."

_This was ludicrous_, thought Burt. "It's just a cat!"

Henry was furious.

"A cat that _hates_ your son! Every time Coop enters a room, that cat seeks him out and attacks him. He constantly has scratches and bruises littered down his arms. Dennis tells me about it all the time. He can't sleep because the creature harasses him. None of his possessions are safe because the cat destroys them. His homework is torn to shreds by claws. Doesn't this tell you something?"

There was silence.

Burt was shocked.

"He doesn't feel safe in his own home! Don't you care?" Henry accused.

"I-I" Burt stuttered.

"Do you even love your son?"

This hit a nerve. Henry had gone too far.

"How dare you! Of course I love Coop. What kind of question is that?" Yelled Burt.

Henry sneered, "I'm sorry. I was wrong." He paused. "I meant that you loved Millie more."

Burt was livid, "WHAT!? I have no favourites. I treat them equally. How could you-"

Henry interrupted him again.

"If you really cared about him, you would have put a stop to this from the beginning. You would have noticed that Mr. Kat was causing him grief and placed it in a shelter."

_That wasn't fair_, thought Burt. "Mr. Kat belongs to Millie. It would be cruel to give her pet away."

"You didn't have a problem when the cat was affecting your life," scoffed Henry.

"I…What?"

Henry explained, "When you thought you were allergic to the creature, you had no qualms against sending it away. But when _your son_ has a problem with the cat, you ignore him. You favour your daughter."

"But…It would devastate her. She loves that thing."

_Excuses_, thought Henry.

"Or do you want to avoid her throwing a tantrum? If you actually disciplined her, like you do your son, she wouldn't act out."

A pink tinge appeared on Burt's cheeks.

"That doesn't change the fact that she would be losing her pet," Burt argued.

"She's five years old. It would upset her for a week, before the next thing comes along."

Both adults were breathing heavily.

Henry calmed down. He had proven his point.

"I'm telling you this as a friend and as a father. Get rid of the cat."

Burt deflated. "Maybe you're right."

"The moment that cat leaves, you'll see the stress melt away."

In the background, Burt heard his children arguing.

_"__Tell your creepy cat to leave me alone!"_

_"__He's just playing. Don't be a baby."_

_"__Meow!"_

_"__Ouch! He's using his claws."_

_"__Meow, ha ha, Meow."_

Burt spoke softly, "I always thought that Coop provoked the animal but… it's true. The cat does hate him."

His demeanour saddened.

"How could I not have noticed? It was happening in my very home. Right in front of me. I-I'm a bad father." Tears welled up in his eyes.

Henry felt guilty. Maybe he was too harsh.

"You're not. I didn't mean what I said about you favouring your children. I was frustrated." He comforted his friend.

"But how could I have missed it?" Burt genuinely asked.

Henry didn't have the answer.

"I don't know," He paused, "BUT you realise the truth now! You can change things for the better."

Burt weakly smiled, "Thanks Henry. Thanks for… everything."

"Don't worry about it," Henry looked at his watch, "I should get going. My wife is probably wondering where I've gone."

Burt nodded.

"Okay. I should get back to my kids. I have something important to discuss with them."

Walking back to his house, Henry could still hear the Burtonburgers.

_"__Daddy, tell Coop to play nicely with Mr. Kat!"_

_"There is no nice. __That thing has it in for me."_

_"__I know son. I finally understand."_

_"__Wh-what? Did you just say…?"_

_"__I believe you."_


End file.
